Camouflage nets are used, particularly by military forces, to reduce the possibility of detection by optical, electromagnetic, thermal, and radar detection systems. Equipment and personnel can thus be made to blend in with their surroundings and be hidden from enemy forces.
Camouflage nets already in use suffer from various defects, such as insufficient protection from radar and thermal imaging as well as visual detection, snagging and ripping of the netting material, and overall deterioration of the camouflage net device.
Further, most nets are of two types: so-called three-dimensional and two-dimensional designs. Three-dimensional nets typically comprise a base net to which additional garnish is attached. The garnish is often a coated fabric which possesses visual and infrared properties which may match the expected terrain in which the net is to be used. The garnish may be cut or otherwise varied to enhance the three-dimensional appearance and may be further coated with thermal and radar silhouette reducing materials. While these garnishes provide enhanced camouflage protection, they are often subject to ripping and tearing during use; reduce transportability by adding additional, often cumbersome, weight to the device; and reduce convenience of set up and deployment.
Two-dimensional nets, on the other hand, have a closer woven or knitted pattern with no attached garnish. Instead of the garnish, radar absorbing or reflecting properties may be incorporated into the yarn itself or applied as a coating. Additional radar silhouette reduction may be achieved by interweaving metal filaments into the mesh structure; however, the amount of metal filament that can be introduced into yarn mesh is typically insufficient to adequately prevent detection by modern radar equipment. Further, these two-dimensional nets are often not as effective at providing visual camouflage or protecting against infrared detection.
Thus, an effective, durable, conveniently transportable, and quickly deployable multi-spectral camouflage device would be well received in the art.